Brick grab



1947- R. A. FONTAINE 2,416,575

I BRICK GRAB Filed Nov. 28, I944 2 Sheets-Sheet l l l'lllll Feb. 25, 1947. FONTAlNE 2,416,575

BRICK GRAB Filed Nov. 28 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 25, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRICK GRAB Robert A. Fontaine, Martinsville, Va.

Application November 28, 1944, Serial No. 565,492

7 01mins. 1

The invention pertains to a grab for'handling a stack of bricks or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a brick grab capable of effectively contacting spaced outer rows of a lowermost course or layer of bricks in a stack to bind the'lowermost course within the grab in the process of moving, shifting or transporting a stack of bricks or the like from one location to another.

A further object of the invention is to provide a brick grab having spaced depending members arranged to positively and firmly bear against all bricks forming outer spaced rows of a lowermost course.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a brick grab, yieldable means so arranged and constructed that irrespective of the alignment or misalignment of bricks forming an outer row of a lowermost course in a stack, an equal transverse pressure will be applied to all the bricks.

The above as well as numerous other objects will become apparent from the succeeding description, considered together with the accompanying drawings which disclose an exemplified form of the invention, and wherein:

Figure 1 is an end elevational View of a brick grab embodying the present invention and shown associated with a stock of bricks.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the brick grab shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the brick grab shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the lines 5-5 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, throughout which like reference characters indicate like parts, the numeral I is employed to point out a hack, stack or somewhat orderly group of bricks or the like arranged in superimposed courses. In the industry it ofttimes becomes necessary to transfer, transport or move bricks from one location to another and for this purpose the present invention resides in a novel means or arrangement of components commonly called a grab and herein designated generally by the reference character 2 which functions perfectly for the attainment of the above and has been formed to be relatively simple in manufacture and operation, positive and effective in action and comparatively inexpensive. The brick grab comprises a vertical side wall, plate or stationary armor tong 3 which is of a height greater than a predetermined stack of bricks and of a length at least equal to the length of the stack of bricks. The side wall or stationary arm is formed by a plate of relatively stiff or rigid qualifications so that when placed in juxtaposed position with the stack the side wall or tong will form a barrier against which the associated or adjacent bricks will bear. The lower edge of the side wall is tapered as at 4 or V-shaped so that as the grab is being lowered over and in straddling relation with a stack of bricks the leading or lower edge of the wall will not become suspended on a brick or group of bricks which. may be out of vertical alignment with superimposed bricks. The stack is illustrated as an orderly somewhat symmetrical perfectly aligned group of bricks but in actual practice, as will be understood, the bricks of one course may be out of vertical and horizontal alignment with the bricks of an adjacent course and also the bricks of a single course may be out of true horizontal alignment. To meet these contingencies a plurality of gripping means is provided on the stationary prong with this means being characterized by a multiplicity of indentures, cavities or recesses 5 appearing on the inner face of the stationary tong adjacent the lower extremity thereof and particularly in the area opposite from the normal position of a lowermost course of bricks in the stack. As the bricks of at least the lowermost course are urged toward the stationary tong, more particularly treated hereinafter, the slight obstructions most usually and naturally outstanding from the face of the bricks adapted to be engaged by the stationary tong, will enter the recesses or indentures to form a vertical interlock between those particular lowermost bricks and the stationary tong.

Outstanding horizontally from one side of the stationary arm inwardly of the grab and in upper spaced relation to a stack of bricks is a pair of auxiliary arms, extensions or brackets 6 firmly secured to an upper area of the side plate by any desired means such as the illustrated welds. The

brackets are illustrated as being two in number lustrated welds or any other desired means.

v is provided with an eyelet 23 through which an bricks of the stack. This arrangement provides a support for the grab from the stack preparatory to a clamping action or after an unclamping action of the grab. Also the screw elements are grab is definitely established and the recesses 'or indentures of the stationary arm can be so positionedas to be disposed opposite or opposed to-an outer row of bricks of a ilowermost course.

The free extremities of the bracket downstanding legs .are provided with bushings I2 which accommodate an axle or pivot'armjs extending continuously o-runinterrupted through the .bushings to have its free extremities disposed outwardly of the legs where cotter pins or keys [5 are associated therewith and, accordingly, prevent an accidental or unwarranted shifting of the pivot bar axially thereof. Sleeved over the pivotal bar is a tubing or pipe"! 5 arranged to move in a rotative manner relative to the axle and being of a length substantially equal to the distance between the hearings or the brackets. Secured firmly to the tubing adjacent the'ends thereof and. in spaced relation to one another is a pair of movable arms or actuating means it each having an upper portion extending upwardly and inwardly of the grab from the tubing to overlie the stack of bricks in upper spaced relation thereto. The free extremities of the movable arm upper portions are bridged or tied together by a pair of longitudinally extending, transversely spaced, an-

gle shaped connecting links H which may be securedto the movable arms by means of the ilapart and having a series of aligned apertures 20 disposed-along the length thereof. Positioned between the upstanding legs of the clips is a hook attachment 2! also provided witha series of apertures capable of being aligned with certain apertures of the clip legs so that bolts, pins or any re-j taining or connecting means 22 may be threaded through apertures common to the clip legs and hook attachment for maintaining the latter and clips in assembled relation. As will be apparent,

due to the adjustability of the hook attachment relative to the clips, the former may be shifted along the latter so that a vertical lifting force applied to the hook attachment will fall within or coincide with the vertical axis of a loadedbrick grab and, because of this arrangement, astack can .be raised vertically Without tilting after being raised from a supportand the stack can also be lowered upon a support without disturbing the arrangement of the stack. lh'ehook attachment The I implement of a lifting device may extendto effect a movement of the grab.

An inner face of the stationary arm is provided with a block or spacing element 2G firmly secured to the stationary arm and carrying a vertically extending latch element 25. The latch element desirably comprises a resilient leaf or strip 25 having midway between its vertical ends an abut ment, shoulder or outstanding dog .21. The free or outermost extremities of the clip legs have built thereon lips .28 which, when moved along an arcuate path about thepivotal bar, are arranged to be intercepted by the dog. An inclined surface 29 on the dog is initially contacted by the lips to ilex'the latch element toward the stationary arm and a continued axial movement of the lips perniits them to attain a position subjacent to the dog to thereby maintain the grab in an inoperative or expanded position or capable of being lowered over a stack to be moved or being raised away from a moved stack.

The movable arms in the area adjacent to the pivotal bar each present a plane inwardly facing surface 30 to which is amxed a beam iii of channel formation and having an inner substantially vertical, Web 32 terminatingin outwardly directed upper and lower spaced flanges 33 and 3e respectively. The beam flanges are welded to the movable "arm surface 30 and any action of the movable arms will therefore be reflected 'in 'a similar movement of the beam. The beamlflanges are provided with a multiplicity of vertically aligned openings 35 arranged longitudinally of .the'beam and capable of receiving upper extremitiesfifi of resilient flexible tongs or fingers 31 downstanding from the beam. Each finger formedpreferably of resilient material such as spring steel has an outwardly facing .kerf t8 exposed immediately above the beam upper flange and the latter has attached thereto a locking bar tilwhich extends into-all or the finger kerfs to forman interlock between all of the "fingers and the beam. The fingers, of which a plurality or multiplicity appear in an orderly row along the beam side of the grab, are so disposed or arranged'thattwo or more of them are capable, upon :aclamping action of the grab, of engaging or being in intimate contact with a face of a single brick :forming a part of an adjacent or related outer row of the lowermost course of the stack. Accordingly, each brick of the outer adjacent row'is gripped or contacted by a plurality of fingers to positively ensure a. stack gripping action of the movable arm or fingers. .Because of the appearance of a multiplicity of fingers in the grab it Will be noted that care need not beexercised in arranged initially the stack and even though the outer row of the lowermost course is not inpere feet alignment horizontally the fingers will reach the bricks to impart lateral forces to the lowermost course preparatory to and during a stack moving action or process.

While the fingers .-are inherently resilient and capable of exerting a certain-degree of pressure inwardly of the stack this degree is insufficient .in creating an adequate frictional drag "or force between the lfingers and bricks to permit safely the movement of a stack. Accordingly, this :degree of pressure is .augmentedby the provision-of a base plate or arcuate, cylindricalformed-backup or barrier 40 'spannning the lower extremities ll of the movable arms and extending rhori-zontally therebeyond for an-appreciableiextent :onfor the-full length cl lthegrab. By referring particlarly to Figures 1 and 4 of the drawings, it will be noted that the movable arm lower extremities are shaped to conform to the barrier to thereby ensure a full bearing area between the movable arms and base plate. The back-up is arcuately formed, for reasons which will become hereinafter apparent, as well as to rigidify or stiffen the barrier against transverse or outwardly directed forces to which it will be subjected in service. Disposed between the fingers and barrier is a bag, cylinder or flexible container 42 which is formed of rubber or the like and normally, be-

fore assembly, is in the form of a true cylindrical tube. The respective ends of the bag have associated therewith an end plug 43 and clamping or securing bands 44 which cooperate to close or seal the bag against loss of internal fluid pressure. As indicated, the bag is partially inflated and for the accomplishment of the above the back-up is provided with one or more openings through which extend valves or couplings 45 communicating with the interior of the bag. While only one valve is necessary for the admission of air or any desired fluid to the interior of the bag, there has been provided a plurality of valves and, as will be noted by reference to Figure 2 particularly, the valves are conveniently spaced and accordingly they function as means for maintaining the bag in its illustrated position. The bag being preferably only partially inflated, functions as an adjustable cushion, ensuring an equal pressure transversely or inwardly of the grab against all of the multiplicity of fingers. Naturally, when the movable arms are unlatched from the dog and a lifting action is applied to the hook attachment, the grab will assume the position illustrated in full lines in the drawings, and when the movable arms are in latched position, the components of the grab will assume the position indicated partially and diagrammatically in Figure .1 only of the drawings.

From the above it will be apparent and obvious that various changes and alterations may be made to the illustrated and described construction without departing from within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a grab for a stack of bricks, the combination of, a vertical plate arranged to contact one side of said stack, a plurality of indentures in said vertical plate in horizontal alignment with a lowermost course of bricks of said stack, auxiliary arms fixed to said vertical plate adjacent an upper edge thereof, movable arms pivotally secured to said auxiliary arms, a multiplicity of metallic tongs carried by said movable arms and arranged to contact said lowermost course of bricks, and resilient means interposed between said movable arms and tongs.

2. In a grab for a stack of bricks, the combination of, a vertical plate arranged to contactone side of said stack, a plurality of indentures in said vertical plate in horizontal alignment with a lowermost course of bricks of said stack, auxiliary arms fixed to said vertical plate adjacent an upper edge thereof, movable arms pivotally secured to said auxiliary arms, a multiplicity of metallic tongs carried by said movable arms and arranged to contact said lowermost course of bricks, resilient means interposed between said movable arms and tongs, said resilient means being arranged to exert an equal pressure on all of said tongs.

3. In a. grab for a stack of bricks, the combination of, a vertical plate arranged to contact one side of said stack, horizontal arms fixed to said plate adjacent an upper edge thereof, movable arms pivotally secured to and carried by said fixed arms adjacent an extremity thereof removed from said vertical plate, a multiplicity of resilient tongs carried by said movable arms and arranged to contact a lowermost course of bricks of said stack, and catch means carried by said vertical plate for engagement by said lifting means for holding said movable arms in operative position.

4. In a grab for a stack of bricks, the combination of, a vertical plate arranged to contact one side of said stack, horizontal arms fixed to said plate adjacent an upper edge thereof, movable arms pivotally secured to and carried by said fixed arms adjacent an extremity thereof removed from said vertical -plate, a multiplicity of resilient tongs carried by said movable arms and arranged to contact a lowermost course of bricks of said stack, means for urging said resilient tongs against said lowermost course, and each brick of said lowermost course contacted by said tongs being engaged by more than one tong.

5. In a grab for a stack of bricks, the co-mbination of, a vertical plate arranged to contact one side of said stack, a plurality of indentures in said vertical plate in horizontal alignment with a lowermost course of bricks of said stack, auxiliary arms fixed to said vertical plate adjacent an upper edge thereof, movable arms pivotally secured to said auxiliary arms, a multiplicity of metallic tongs carried by said movable arms and arranged to contact said lowermost course of bricks, resilient means interposed between said movable arms and tongs, more than one of said tongs being arranged to engage each adjacent brick of said lowermost course.

6. In a grab for a stack of bricks, the combination of, a vertical member arranged to contact a stack of bricks along one side thereof, a movable member spaced from said vertical member and arranged to contact a stack of bricks along another side thereof, said movable member comprising a longitudinally. extending means, a multiplicity of metallic tongs extending through and secured to said means, an arcuate back-up plate spaced from said tongs, and inflated means between said back-up plate and tongs.

7. In a grab for a stack of bricks, the combination of, a vertical member arranged to contact a stack of bricks along one side thereof, a movable member spaced from said vertical member REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,192,504 Crum July 25, 1916 1,895,649 Butts Jan. 31, 1933 2,040,574 Sutclifie May 12, 1936 2,213,629 Fontaine Sept. 3, 1940 

